Indians turn to Twitter for help amid the despair of the country’s Covid crisis

In India, people are bypassing the conventional lines of communication and turning to Twitter to crowdsource help for oxygen cylinders, hospital beds and other requirements. — Background photo created by natanaelginting - www.freepik.com

NEW DELHI: After spending hours fruitlessly calling government helplines in a search for a hospital bed for a critically ill Covid-19 patient, Indian lawyer Jeevika Shiv posted an SOS request on Twitter.

“Serious #covid19 patient in #Delhi with oxygen level 62 needs immediate hospital bed,” Shiv, part of a 350-member Covid-19 volunteer Medical Support Group, said on Twitter late last week.